Trash compaction shelter incorporating a removable container

ABSTRACT

A shelter structure in the form of a building having outside walls and an access door. Trash or other material can be introduced into a trash compactor contained within the structure through either an outside wall chute door or by entering the structure through the access door and placing the trash or other material inside the compactor. The compactor functions to compress the materials into bales which are moved by a suitable transportation means into a container. The container has at least one side which forms an integral part of the outside wall of the structure and the container is adapted for easy removal by a front end loading rubbish disposal truck.

United States Patent Boyd 1 51' Sept; 19, 1972 [54] TRASH COMPACTION SHELTER 3,597,927 8/1971 I-Iemphill .1 ..100/215 UX INCORPORATING AREMOVABL 3,583,164 6/1971 Sherrill ..100/218 UX CONTAINER I 3314' u FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS t h A. B0 0 oman [72] Inven or 1 21221, Falls Cli urch, Va. 22042 176,621 9/1961 Sweden 100/218 [22] Filed: June 4, 1971 Primary ExaminerBilly J. Wilhite [21] APPL 150,060 Attorney-Roylance, Abrams, Berdo & Kaul 52 us. Cl. ..100/215, 100/218, 214/16 B, [57] ABSTRACT 214/75 H A shelter structure in the form of a building having [51] Int. Cl. ..B30b 15/30 outside walls and an access door. Trash or other [58] Field of Search.l00/218, 229 A, 215; 214/75 l-l, material can be introduced into a trash compactor 2 16 B contained within the structure through either an outside wall chute door or by entering the structure [56] References Cited through the access door and placing the trash or other material inside the compactor. The compactor func- UNITED STATES PATENTS tions to compress the materials into bales which are 3,093,252 6/1963 Cahill ..214/16 B ed by a suitable transportation means into a con- 1 Nelson tainen The container has at least one ide fo -ms 3,358,590 12/1967 Howard 218 an integral part of the outside wall of the structure and 3,424,078 1/1969 y et a] "loo/215 x the container is adapted for easy removal by a front 3,517,608 6/1970 Tezuka ..l0O/2l8 X end loading rubbish disposal truck 3,557,683 1/1971 Boyd ..100/218 t 3,572,513 3/ 1971 Tantlinger et al ..214/75 H 9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures P'A'TE'NTEDsEP 19 m2 SHEEI 1 [IF 3 FIG. I

INVENTOR JOHN A. BOYD FIG. 2

ATTORNEYS.

PATENTED E 19 I972 SHEE-I 2 or 3 FIG. 3

FIG. 4 JOHN A. BOYD BY 6 W Z dz! ATTORNEYS:

P'ATENTEBSEP \9 I972 sum 3 or 3% FIG. 5

INVENTOR JOHN A. BOYD Wu! W n; fiat: IA Z ATTORN E Y This invention relates generally to the problems of trash disposal and particularly to trash disposal techniques employing trash'compactors coupled with a convenient structure for housing the compactor and apparatus for handling the compacted trash.

A very common form of trash collection means is the front loading garbage or trash truck. These trucks are equipped with lifting apparatus which engages large trash containers often used by commercial establishments. The containers are raised by the lift apparatus on the front end of the garbage truck and the contents within the container are placed within the trash chamber of the truck.

It has been found that this mode of trash disposal is reasonably efficient, however, the trash containersare generally quickly filled with trash by the establishments employing such disposal means. The quick filling of the trash container results from the fact that trash, as a general rule, occupies a large volume of space. As a consequence, the trash container must be emptied at rather frequent intervals.

Another problem encountered in the aforementioned approach to trash disposal is that the trash containers are normally located in alleys or at the rear of commercial establishments employing such means of trash disposal. This physical location of these trash containers makes the containers easily accessible to persons or animals that might be in the alley or at the rear of the commercial establishment. Such ready access to the trash container could present certain health problems to the community.

Recognizing these drawbacks and deficiencies with the prior art approach to trash disposal, it is an object of the present invention to overcome these drawbacks and deficiencies and to provide a new and improved trash disposal approach which will employ maximum utilization of already existing trash disposal apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a trash compaction shelter in which trash can be compacted and the bales of compacted trash easily stored for subsequent disposal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a trash compaction shelter in which compacted bales of trash are stored within trash containers which are adapted to being removed from the shelter for loading into trash disposal trucks.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combined container and shelter unit, with the container nesting within the shelter and having at least one side of the container forming an integral part of a wall of said shelter.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a trash compaction shelter in which a bale moving apparatus provides a convenient means for removing compacted bales of trash from the trash compactor and storing these bales within the trash container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a trash compacting shelter which houses a trash compactor and a trash container which in combination function as an efficient means for disposing of trash and thus reduces the number of trash pick-ups necessary and also reduces the health hazards to the community.

Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from following more detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses preferred embodiments thereof.

The foregoing objects are attained generally by providing a trash compaction shelter which has outside walls which prevent unauthorized persons or animals from entering thereinto. In addition, at least a portion of one outside wall of the shelter is comprised of a portion of the trash container and is adapted for engaging with front end loading mechanism of a trash disposal truck so that the trash container can be removed from the shelter. The shelter is further provided with an ac cess door through which authorized persons can enter to operate the equipment contained therein. The outside wall of the trash compaction shelter is equipped with a trash chute through which persons may introduce trash into a trash compactor contained within within the trash compaction shelter to permit loading access thereto only from within the shelter. That is, when the trash container is nested with the shelter, the trash container is positioned for receipt of trash from the trash compactor.

Referring now to the drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:

FIG. I is an end elevational view of apparatus in accordance with the principles of the present invention, with the trash container being positioned within the trash compaction shelter;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional top view takenalong line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified compactor shelter with the trash container removed.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the trash compaction shelter, generally represented as 2, is formed as a small building and includes a flat roof 4 and a pair of spaced parallel vertical side walls 6. The shelter is supported by a concrete slab 8 which has a ramp portion 10 at one end thereof and has two spaced parallel guide slots 12 and 14, which are spaced apart by a distance less than the spacing between the side walls 6. A trash container, shown generally as 16 has an end wall 18, which carries a pull bracket 20, and includes a pair of side rails 22 along opposite sides 23 thereof. The trash container 16 is positioned above concrete slab 8 by means of a set of wheels 26 and 28 which are mounted on the bottom of the container 16 and which are spaced and positioned to permit such wheel sets to fit within the guide slots l2, 14 of the base 8.

Each of the side walls 6 of the shelter contains channel 24 which is positioned to receive, and which does receive, the side rails 22 of the container when the container 16 is moved into position within the shelter 2.

The end wall 29 of the shelter, through which the container 16 is introduced into and removed from the shelter, contains an opening or recess 30 whose shape iscongruent with the shape of the container end wall 18. As a result, when the container 16 is fully introduced into the shelter through the recess 30, the end wall 18 of the container completely closes the recess 30. Thus, the container end wall 18 and the shelter end wall 29 together completely close one end of the shelter, except for possibly a small crack extending about the periphery of the recess 30.

The roof 4 of the compactor shelter 2 is shown having a large flat area with sloping end positions. This particular structure is not a necessity of the present invention but merely represents one aesthetically pleasing roof configuration for the compactor shelter. In fact, the roof and sides of the building can be easily fabricated in any architectural style in order that the shelter might conform architecturally to its surroundings.

As previously indicated, the base slots 12 and 14 serve as directional guides for wheels 26 and 28 which support the trash container 16. By wheeling the container on its sets of rollers 26 and 28, the trash container 16 may be introduced into and removed from the compactor shelter 2. The removal of trash container 16 is facilitated by lift rails 22 in conjunction with pull bracket 20. A conventional front loading trash disposal truck with appropriate arm members can engage the lift rails 22 after an engaging means connectable to the pull bracket has withdrawn the container 16 from the compactor shelter 2 by backing the front loading trash disposal truck away from the compactor shelter.

As shown in FIG. 2, a stop 31 is formed at the end of the guide slots 12 and 14 in the base 8. Another stop 33 is formed at the end of the channels 24 in the sides 6. These stops serve to stop insertion of the container 16 into the shelter 2 at exactly the location where the container end wall 18 is coextensive with the shelter end wall 29. This stopping action is accomplished by contact of the innermost wheels 26 and 28 against the stop 31 and by contact of the ends of the rails 22 against the stop 33.

As also shown in FIG. 2', one of the side walls 6 is provided with an access door 34. The shelter end wall 36 opposite to the end wall 29 is provided with a compactor feed chute 32 having a manually swingable door 38 normally closing the chute. Access door 34 is provided to permit entrance of authorized persons into the compactor shelter to permit such persons to carry trash for depositing into the compactor within the shelter.

Alternatively, trash can be inserted into the compactor within the shelter through compactor chute 32 in end wall 36. When the compactor chute door 38 is open, a person can deposit trash into the chute 32 which will then be fed to the compactor 40 within the compactor shelter 2. In the event that the compactor 40 is positioned within the shelter immediately adjacent the end wall 36, as shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to eliminate the feed chute 38 and instead to let the door 32 feed directly into the compactor 40.

The trash compactor unit 40 can be of any suitable conventional type and the details thereof do not form any part of the present invention. One suitable form of compactor is that of the type described in U.S. Pat. No.

3,557,683, issued Jan. 26, 1971. Another suitable compactor is that shown in my U. S. Pat. No. 3,424,078, issued Jan. 28, 1969. The compactor 40 includes an inside access door 42 as well as the outside access door 32. When access door 32 is opened, the door passes through end wall 36 to allow trash and the like to be placed within compactor unit 40 from outside the compactor shelter. The second access door 42 is provided so that trash and the like can be deposited within the compactor 40 by persons entering the shelter through the door 34 and standing within the compactor shelter.

Located within the compactor shelter is a conveying means generally designated 44 for moving compacted trash bales from compactor 40 into trash container 16. This conveying means includes a pair of spaced channel members 48 disposed at the top of the shelter 2 beneath the roof 4 and, generally parallel to plane of concrete slab 8 and being preferably attached to end walls 29 and 36. Each channel member 48 is provided with a flange 50 which is adapted to supporting a movable conveying system shown generally as 52. The movable conveying system 52 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and comprises a pair of carriages 56 and 58 supported by wheels 54 which preferably rest upon the flange 50 of each channel member 48. Attached to each carriage 56 and 58 and disposed below channel members 48 is a third channel member 60 which has flange portions upon which wheels 62 rest, said wheels 62 being attached to a third carriage means 64 disposed below channel member 60. A hoist means 66 is rigidly attached to a third carriage means 64 and is generally disposed between third carriage means 64 and the floor of the compactor shelter. I-Ioist means 66 has a cable 68 which attaches at point 70 to scissor tongs 72. Scissor tongs 72 is provided with a pair of flat plates 74 which are shown in FIG. 3 in a position engaged against the sides of bale 76 of compacted trash. These bales are, of course, the bales produced by the compactor 40.

Since conveying means 52 comprises movable elements which move along channel members 48 and 60, scissor tongs 72 are positionable near compactor 40 such that bales of compacted trash can be easily engaged by flat plates 74. I-Ioist means 66 would subsequently be activated to raise the bale of trash 76 above the concrete slab 8. The bale of compacted trash would be raised by hoist means 66 to a height which is sufficient to stack a second layer of bales upon a lower layer moved from the compactor onto the container by a hand truck. The conveying means 52 would then move along channel members 48 and 60 to position the bale of trash held between flat plates 74 over the desired location within trash container 16. The bale of trash would then be lowered by hoist means 66 into the open-topped trash container 16, scissor tongs 72 disengaging from the bale of trash when said bale was firmly resting upon the floor 78 of trash container 16 or other bales of compacted trash already contained within trash container 16. The trash container 16 has a pair of side walls 79 connected to the end wall 18 to thus form a structure open at the top and the rear to permit introduction and emptying of bales 76 of compacted trash.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a perspective view of a modified trash compacting shelter 2 is shown with the trash container 16 removed. The shelter 2 in this embodiment has its side walls 6 spaced apartby the' same distance that the side walls 23 of the container 16 are spaced from one another. Instead of simply providing a recess 30 in the end wall 29, the entire end wall 29 is cut away below the level, of the container wall 18. Also, the side walls 6 are cut away so that the container side walls 23 can interfit therein to provide a coextensive side to the shelter 2.

Specifically, the side walls 6 of the shelter have a cutaway edge portion 80 which extends vertically upward from the base 8 at a location coincident with the inner end of the floor 78 of the container 16. The edge portion 80 merges into an angularly extending edge portion 82 which, in turn, merges into a horizontal edge portion 84 that intersects the lower edge of the shelter end wall 29. The side walls 23 of the container have edges which fit exactly against the shelter edges 80, 82 and 84 to thus form a closed building when the container 16 is in position. The advantage of the structure shown in FIG. 5 is that a portion of the side walls 6 and the channels 24 to accommodate lift channels 22 and 24 can be eliminated, thus reducing the cost of the shelter and making the engagement with a front loading trash disposal truck somewhat easier.

it will thus be understood that the present invention provides a trash compacting shelter which is highly efficient since the trash is compacted in close proximity to the location in which it is stored for subsequent removal by a trash removal truck. The shelter provides a convenient and safe location in which trash or the like can be compacted in a compactor and transported within the closed structure to a storage container. The storage container is provided with appropriate lift channels and pull brackets to engage front loading trash disposal trucks and, thus, effecting easy disposal of baled trash. If desired, a lock or latch arrangement can be used to prevent unauthorized uncoupling of the container 16 from the shelter 2.

After reading the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that the objects set forth at the outset of the specification have been achieved by the present invention. However, since the foregoing detailed description has been directed to a preferred embodiment, various modifications and changes will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, without the departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A compaction shelter incorporating a removable trash container, comprising:

said movable trash container having at least one end wall;

said trash compacting shelter being formed as a closed structure surrounding at least part of said movable trash container, said structure having an end wall, with an opening, through which said contain'er can be introduced into and removed froma trash compacting means within said closed structure for receiving trash and producing compacted bales of trash; and a trash conveying means for receiving compacted bales of trash from said compacting means and moving said compacted bales into said movable trash container.

2. A trash compactor shelter as defined in claim 1 wherein said movable trash container has at least three upstanding walls and said structure opening is formed by cut-away portions in three upstanding walls.

3. A trash compaction shelter as defined in claim 1 wherein said trash conveying means comprises a scissor tong means equipped with tongs which can grasp a compacted bale of trash without piercing said bales, said scissor tong being supported by a hoist means, said hoist means being movably supported within said closed structure and disposed above said compactor and movable trash container.

4. A trash compactor shelter as defined in claim 1 wherein said movable trash container carries a pull means on said end wall for permitting the movable trash container to be withdrawn from said closed structure by a truck.

5. A trash compactor shelter as defined in claim 1 wherein said structure includes an access door which permits entry into the interior of said structure, and wherein said structure includes feeding means which permits trash to be fed directly to said trash compacting means.

6. A trash compaction shelter as defined in claim 1 wherein said structure includes a fixed supporting base, said base having a pair of spaced parallel guide tracks therein.

7. A trash compaction shelter as defined in claim 6 wherein said container includes ground engaging wheel means which enable said container to be moved thereupon, said wheel means fitting within said guide tracks when said container is moved into said shelter.

8. A trash compaction shelter as defined in claim 1 wherein said structure includes a pair of spaced side walls, and wherein said container includes a pair of spaced side walls which fit closely inside said container side walls when said container is within said shelter.

9. A trash compaction shelter as defined in claim 8 wherein said structure side walls include a pair of internal guide channels and wherein said container side walls include a pair of external rails which fit within said guide channels. 

1. A compaction shelter incorporating a removable trash container, comprising: said movable trash container having at least one end wall; said trash compacting shelter being formed as a closed structure surrounding at least part of said movable trash container, said structure having an end wall, with an opening, through which said container can be introduced into and removed from said shelter; said container end wall being coextensive with structure end wall and completely closing said opening when said container is positioned within said shelter; a trash compacting means within said closed structure for receiving trash and producing compacted bales of trash; and a trash conveying means for receiving compacted bales of trash from said compacting means and moving said compacted bales into said movable trash container.
 2. A trash compactor shelter as defined in claim 1 wherein said movable trash container has at least three upstanding walls and said structure opening is formed by cut-away portions in three upstanding walls.
 3. A trash compaction shelter as defined in claim 1 wherein said trash conveying means comprises a scissor tong means equipped with tongs which can grasp a compacted bale of trash without piercing said bales, said scissor tong being supported by a hoist means, said hoist means being movably supported within said closed structure and disposed above said compactor and movable trash container.
 4. A trash compactor shelter as defined in claim 1 wherein said movable trash container carries a pull means on said end wall for permitting the movable trash container to be withdrawn from said closed structure by a truck.
 5. A trash compactor shelter as defined in claim 1 wherein said structure includes an access door which permits entry into the interior of said structure, and wherein said structure includes feeding means which permits trash to be fed directly to said trash compacting means.
 6. A trash compaction shelter as defined in claim 1 wherein said structure includes a fixed supporting base, said base having a pair of spaced parallel guide tracks therein.
 7. A trash compaction shelter as defined in claim 6 wherein said container includes ground engaging wheel means which enable said container to be moved thereupon, said wheel means fitting within said guide tracks when said container is moved into said shelter.
 8. A trash compaction shelter as defined in claim 1 wherein said structure includes a pair of spaced side walls, and wherein said container includes a pair of spaced side walls which fit closely inside said container side walls when said container is within said shelter.
 9. A trash compaction shelter as defined in claim 8 wherein said structure side walls include a pair of internal guide channels and wherein said container side walls include a pair of external rails which fit within said guide channels. 